Zimmerman's grand slam fuels Nats past Padres

He quickly retreated to his teammates in the dugout amidst the hysteria in the
stands, but Jayson Werth waited outside the batter's box.

Zimmerman had no choice but to step to the top step of the dugout, raise his
right hand to the crowd and take his curtain call moments after his grand slam
in the third inning led the Washington Nationals to their fourth win in a row,
an 11-7 victory against the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game
set.

Zimmerman knocked in four runs on his fourth career grand slam and scored
twice on the day.

Bryce Harper, who snapped an 0-for-19 skid Saturday, continued to reverse his
fortunes. Harper had three hits, an RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases.

Stephen Strasburg (5-6) earned the win without his best command. He gave up
four runs on seven hits in six innings. Strasburg walked two and hit three
batters. He also struck out nine.

Chase Headley had three hits including a pair of doubles. He knocked in a run
and scored another in the Padres' ninth straight loss.

Robbie Erlin (1-2) was tagged for nine runs on six hits and four walks in
four-plus innings in his fourth career start.

The Nationals took the lead in the first after Denard Span had a leadoff
single, moved to third on a wild pitch and a ground out, then came home on a
Harper single.

San Diego tied the game in the third when Headley's double to right-center
field plated Carlos Quentin.

Washington quickly regained the lead with some insurance. Strasburg and Ian
Desmond walked and Harper singled to load the bases. Zimmerman then jumped on
a first-pitch fastball and drove it over the right-field fence to give the
Nats a 5-1 lead.

The Nationals continued their rally. Werth followed the blast with a base hit
and Anthony Rendon crushed a fastball over the left-field fence to score two
more and make the score 7-1.

San Diego's Alexi Amarista hit a two-run home run in the fourth, but the
Nationals tacked on four more in the fifth to open up an 11-3 lead.

Harper scored on an errant throw with Zimmerman swiping second base, Rendon
singled home Zimmerman, Werth later scored on a double play, and Strasburg
capped the rally with a base hit to plate Rendon.

San Diego picked up four runs between the sixth and eighth innings, but Drew
Storen and Tyler Clippard combined to retire the final six San Diego hitters
in order to finish off an 11-7 win.

Game Notes

Washington is 11-5 in its last 16 games against San Diego ... The Nationals
franchise swept the Padres for the first time since May 6-8, 2003 as the
Montreal Expos ... San Diego wrapped up a 10-game road trip with a 1-9 record
... Headley has a career .386 average (27-for-70) with nine doubles at
Nationals Park ... Washington went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position
while San Diego went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.